Preface:
The original version of this poem was about 80 lines long with countless stanzas. It was meant to be a hybrid of a plotless story and a free verse poem. After a couple of hours of revision, I have created this poem, posted below, which will also be shared in my Fiction Writing class. I believe that poetry does come from the heart, but please do not be convinced that I'm a very sad person after you read this poem! :) As always, I welcome constructive criticism and would be happy to read what you think about this poem in the comment section. I hope you enjoy it!
Tea
Hayley Robinson (2015)
This morning as I was reaching for a snack,
only one shelf caught my attention.
The tea.
I aspire to be a “tea-drinker,”
but every time that I consider it
the idea gets scrapped,
and I reach for the coffee grounds instead.
There’s always one tea that I hate to turn down
because it’s so special to me.
It requires two kinds of tea:
Country Peach Passion and Raspberry Zinger.
There’s no specific reason why it’s my favorite.
But I know why I drink it.
It always gives me a taste of heaven.
It helps me remember what I’m reaching for in life.
I have a special way of making my tea.
First you should know that I never, ever substitute.
It is always Country Passion Peach and Raspberry Zinger tea.
I do not settle for anything else in this matter.
This tea is sacred.
I boil the water,
I reach for my special tea boxes and stevia packets.
1 bag of Country Peach, 1 bag of Raspberry Zinger.
Stevia. No milk. No cream.
And I taste it.
Have you ever seen a picture of a berry farm in the early morning?
When the sun has just come up from the horizon?
The sun is beaming, golden, bright, with big wide rays shining on the dew-covered berry bushes?
If taste was visual, that’s what my tea would taste like.
This morning, I remembered my former passions.
I dreamed of becoming a storyteller.
I would find characters from all over to tell the stories of real life--
heartbreaks, magical memories, and expectations vs. reality.
But the idea gets scrapped.
It’s been a while since I’ve made my special tea.
“Maybe I’ll make it today,”
I often say to myself.
But the idea often gets scrapped,
and I reach for the coffee grounds instead.
After all, people usually drink coffee to wake themselves up.
